In case you haven’t heard it’s going to be a while before there will be a new Narnia movie. Most of you reading this already know this fact, so why do I bother stating the obvious? Can I not help myself in being the bearer of (old) bad news? Actually, I feel somewhat obligated and I have the Internet to blame for it!
What do I mean? Thanks to the Internet you can search for anything…including old news stories. More specifically, since I began writing my new column here I notice a curious statistic. At least over the last couple of weeks several dozens of people each day have viewed an old story from this site proclaiming a certain book will be the fourth Narnia film. The title of that story makes it show high in the results of searches and more likely to be read. Since that time there have been further updates, like “More Information on the Future of Narnia on Film” and “Douglas Gresham Talks…” From this updated information we know the production of the movies are on hold and at last word it is likely four more years before any will begin. So, remember it can take a couple of years before a movie is released after filming starts…can anyone say “2018?” Could something change and a movie hit the big screen sooner? I certainly hope so!
Until then, what do you do? Here’s a crazy idea…go back to reading the books from which the movies came! Honestly, I’m not really that much of a book reader, so I tend to listen to the unabridged audio and I’ve been known to take great pleasure in hearing the dramatized versions. Yet, seeing the words in front of you is an experience that can’t be beat. Doing this allows you to more easily pause and reflect on the stories and enjoy them to an extent not possible otherwise.
Of course, while reading the books directly you can enhance your understanding of them by getting one of the many books about the stories. There are some I might discuss another time (you can also check out those that are reviewed in Tumnus’ Bookshelf). However, one of the easiest ways to supplement your experience is also found here within the NarniaFans.com site. There is an entire section under the “Books” tabs above devoted to all the Narnia stories. One nice thing it provides are brief summaries of each book. Not only that, there is a list of characters found in each story along with details about them.
Tell me how the resources on this site has helped you and/or what other places online you’ve found helpful for enjoying the Narnia stories by leaving a comment below.
I hope they’ll release the next film much, much earlier than 2018! I’m hungry for a new one, and to see more characters from the books come to life on screen.
One book I recommend reading with “The Chronicles of Narnia” is “A Family Guide to Narnia” by Christin Ditchfield. I found it one day at the study at home. =)
I really wish that they’d do The Magician’s Nephew. I think it’s a fantastic book.
The ators will be too old by 2018… they ahve to do it asap! they are already too old for the last battle….
I would really be interested to see another further Narnia movie. I know the tickets will sell out and there will be a huge crowd. I really think “Magician’s Nephew” will be a huge success.
Magician’s Nephew for sure has all the elements of a Narnia film, all the chances to show off magical elements and adventure and character development. But if they choose to do just a great story and keep it simple, what is what I hope, I would think Horse and his boy would fit the bill. I also have always thought that when they do Silver Chair, if they do a good job of casting, that the roll of Puddleglum would be a good Oscar or Golden Globe contender.
Johnny Depp for Puddleglum!
Johnny Depp would be a great and excellent choice.
Ha! yeah for Depp!
soooooooooo saaaaaaaaaaad….. i have a better idea, read percy jackson books. they are really exciting. also a second movie is coming out next year of that series. hey paul can you start a website for pj fans?
LOL, I’d do that, but it would take a few things. 1) I’d have to read the books and become a fan. 2) I’d need the time it takes to do it. 3) I’d need to be a bigger fan than I am now. I’m not against becoming a fan of the series. I hear they’re very good. I just don’t have the time at the moment.
One thing you could do is start a fan blog of your own, though! It’s easier than you might think. You could even start one at MyMiddleEarth.com if you want a place to get started that is hooked in with instant potential readership.
i would love to star a blog or website myself but, you see writing is just not my cup of tea… whenever you ger free time read few pages of PJ books. who knows you may be hooked to it!
Honestly now I really could care less which film they do next only keeping in mind the power time has on human bodies. Our actors will be quite older in the next film if it will be 2018. I really hope there is some way Douglas Gresham and Walden Media find a quicker way to renew the contract. So it won’t take up as much time as is this traditional way. Well not much of tradition if it is the only way. Hope the LWW stage production comes to the US soon for it would be a nice temporary Narnia distraction from the film dilemmas.
They should just reboot it sadly…I mean the actors are growing up and will is like 20 so I think that the best choice is a reboot
I agree…since they didn’t go with the books very much for last two films it would be easier to redo them CLOSER to the novels. It’s sad but very true, they need to be remade because of age issues and book faithfulness issues. 🙁
Willian, I am really surprised that you are not much of a reader. While I enjoy some movies, I have yet to see any movie that is as good as the book from which it was made. And though I have many books about Narnia and CSL, I find the best parts are those that are quoting Lewis.
Read the books! For pete’s sake, they were written for young people, so they’re not difficult literature. I was reading them for years before I even cracked /The Lord of the Rings/ in high school (which I also highly recommend). You won’t mourn the long timetable of the films if you enter Narnia through the Original Wardrobe: the books themselves.
Well said. I still read them, I credit Lewis and Conan Doyle for teaching me how to write.
The books are much more complex than you think. Look at the huge number of books about the Narnia series. Read “Planet Narnia” by Michael Ward to see the complexity. A simpler version of the book is “The Narnia Code” also by Michael Ward which was made into a DVD by BBC of the same name. http://www.essentialcslewis.com/ is run a podcast series right now about “The Narnia Code”. The children’s story is a very superficial layer of what Lewis was writing. Some young people see the romance or the adventure, but there is so very much more. I am enjoying digging much deeper in my old age. I have read the series many times and am still learning.
Remember the dedication to Lucy in LWTW, you are reflecting what Lewis said, that one day you would read the fairy tales again when you could appreciate them.
Roger,
Thanks for this post. I hadn’t been aware of “Planet Narnia” but it looks fascinating and I’ve ordered a copy online.
Belated thanks for mentioning the podcast series on “The Narnia Code.” In case you (or others) didn’t know, that’s my site.
I had a real enjoyable time recording those interviews with Dr. Ward (and co-host Dr. Holly Ordway).
Here’s a short post about the series done at this blog: https://narniafans.com/archives/13022
I can’t imagine myself patiently waiting until 2018.I’m still hoping they will release it earlier. HOPEFULLY!
Thanks for sharing this.
I would so love to see the magicians nephew as the next book. I really wish it had been done first. I was very disappointed in how Dawn Treader did not stick even remotely closely to the book. it could have and been such a much better movie.
I have read and enjoyed these books since my early teens. BBC did a wonderful set of movies on them many years ago and only made t through the silver chair. it is a much lower grade production but I would recommend them to Narnia fans. They stayed extremely close to the book, and nothing extra was added.
2018 seems a long time to wait for the next movie, and they wouldn’t be able to do The Silver Chair with the same actor. All thee other movies would be unaffected as Peter, Lucy and Edmund were adults of unknown age. and Eustace and Jill were older.
I agree, good post.
Yes, I agree as well. They really messed up VOT, which is a shame as it is one of my favourites. I’ll have to watch those BBC series. I heard Tom Baker does a good Puddleglum, and Tom Baker + Narnia = Score for the BBC!!!
I completely agree with you. I really wanted to see the Magicians Nephew next.
Also, thanks for clearing that the other movies won’t be affected by the actors ages. I was afraid that they would have to use different actors. And that would of been terrible.
I, too, was disappointed with VotDT, though I realize there was so much in the book, if they had to, they could have made it 2 movies, Parts 1 & 2.
To me, there’s a big difference in putting a book on film, and “putting your own interpretation” of a book, on film.
But alas, look at the “Wizard of Oz”, 1939, they didn’t stay with the book, and look how many people today, almost 75 years from it’s release, still enjoy it.
I do think, I would may have enjoyed the movie more, had I not read the book (VotDT), because I kept saying to myself, “hey, this is in the wrong order, and oh you left that out, etc.)
— Socrates2k1
OH MY DEAR! I am 35 years old and I’m waiting impatiently like a small child for the next one!!! My children and I really appreciate the Chronicles.
It’s sad and a relief to hear that a fourth isn’t in production yet. I wanted to make the Narnia movies ever since I was a kid and I honestly think they missed a trick with the movies. Lion, Witch, Wardrobe was never my favourite of the books anyway but I was never happy with the casting, especially Lucy. And Liam Neeson as Aslan! The first choice of Brian Cox would’ve been better. Now I was introduced to Narnia via an audiobook series. The ones read by Michael Hordern (if you haven’t heard these, you must!). My faves were Magician’s Nephew, Last Battle, Horse and his Boy and Voyage. (The Voyage movie was the best of the 3 I thought). Anyway. I’m an aspiring film-maker with a couple of shorts under my belt (including one featuring Martin Freeman). I still want to make a Narnia movie. And am working on a draft of Magician’s Nephew. Whether it’ll come to anything I don’t know. But I’m giving it a go anyway.
Oh it is very bad news.I am a big fan of Narnia.I love to read narnia and watching narnia movies .i can’t wait for next narnia till 2018.
I hope they will release the movie as fast as possible
just like the BBC version they only made 4 i think then nothing. i would like to see all the books on film eventually.
it seem like ever good decent book series made for kids they only make only a couple films and that’s it.
I’m a big fan of narnia movies….and I ‘m waiting for the next movie “Magician’s Nephew”….
I’m really dissapointed because all of the actors will grow up by then…well they already have and it’s all messed up
Shouldn’t they just reboot them?
No they should not reboot them!!! C’mon we all grew up with those actors, why change them?
Hi I am an Iranian I love movies of Narnia they are so beautiful and I am so excited of watching the last battle I think it will be so emotional because Edmund and peter will die and when I think about that when Peter and Edmund will die I cry